A retiree with a record of working to secure federal dollars to clean up Hanford and spark the local economy has received the Sam Volpentest Entrepreneurial Leadership Award. Gary PetersenGary Petersen received the award during the 25th annual Richland Rotary Club’s Entrepreneurial Awards ceremony on Nov. 2.Petersen managed the federal...
Owner/presidentJC Agriculture, In Season Produce, Premier Seed, 509 Custom Application, Desert River FarmsJames AlfordNumber of employees you oversee: 40Brief background of your businessMultiple agricultural-based businesses providing seed and custom chemicals services along with an operational row crop farm and a direct-to-consumer produce stand.How did you land your current role? How...
Editor’s note: This Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business feature, Tri-City Connections, is part of a series of occasional profiles of Tri-City natives and former Tri-Citians who have excelled in the world of business. If you have one in mind, let us know at info@tcjournal.biz.Khadidja Toure shines on so many fronts...
As we look around our community and marvel at how far we’ve come in such little time, it is essential to reflect on our own personal development and examine whether a similar transformation has taken place.The Tri-Cities has truly become a metropolis, with schools, restaurants and new housing developments popping...
Ninety-two percent of U.S. employees say learning something new on the job makes them more motivated and engaged in their work, and 79% say that it’s important to them that their employer offers a formal training program. Yet 51% say their companies don’t offer soft-skills training, and only 17% say...
President and owner of Booker Auction Company/ Western Real Estate Auctions Merle BookerNumber of employees you oversee: 8 to 25 depending on saleBrief background of your business: It is a family business that has grown by providing professional productive marketing advice and services, selling a variety of assets.How did you...
Need inspiration and guidance on how to be a better performing leader? Look no further than Tri-City business podcasts.Business and leadership coach Paul Casey has produced “Tri-Cities Influencer” for more than a year and a half now. In his podcasts, he interviews chief executive officers, nonprofit executives and entrepreneurs to...
Hanford contractors place an ongoing emphasis on growing employee leadership skills to bolster their talent pool and retain workers.“Just like many employers across this country, we’re having a ‘silver tsunami,’ where a large part of our workforce is eligible for retirement in the next five to seven years,” said Todd...
By D. Patrick JonesWhat do we know about the presence of young professionals in the Tri-City area workforce? From a data perspective, not enough.But first let’s define our terms. D. Patrick Jones,Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic AnalysisWhat constitutes “young,” for example? Data to answer that question...
For startup companies looking to launch a new product, hiring star inventors who are accomplished and have a strong record of performance seems like a no brainer. After all, having more expertise on an innovation team should lead to more product innovation, right?However, product innovation efforts often stall when star...